The year 2015 was a great year for Android users, First Android Lollipop charmed us all with its fluid performance and then it was raining devices in MWC 2015. From Asus Zenphone 2 to Lenovo K3 Note, there were lots of devices that are worthy to put on this list. I will not be including the top notch Android phones that come with a premium price tag. I will talk more about the sub $300 Phones that caught our attention with their fine performance and specs.
One Plus 2: Everybody is loving the new budget flagship phone from One Plus. The 2nd product from Chinese manufacturer One Plus has totally amazed the gadget world. Not only, it has made Phones like Galaxy S6 Edge and iPhone 6 as wastage of money, but people have also started complaining about companies over expensive flagship devices.
One Plus 2 has set another record sale and overwhelming response on the internet for its Snapdragon 810 with dual quad-core CPU and Adreno 430 GPU. Its 13 MP camera is marvelous and beats major flagship devices, Screen is full HD and bright. You will find lots of praises of it over the internet.
One plus 2 Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Snapdragon 810 processor, Dual Quad-Core CPU, Adreno 430 GPU makes it Flagship killer
- 13 MP camera produces great pics
- Oxygen OS is great alternative to CyanogenMod and has lots of tweaks and features
- Massive 3300 mAh battery
Cons:
- Battery takes almost 3 hours to charge, even after fast charging tech
- Bigger battery makes it slightly bulkier but still it’s not uneasy to carry
- Some people may feel that design is not much impressive
Asus Zenfone 2: Asus entered into Android Phone market with Zenfone 5 [their 1st device] and now they have launched Zenfone 2 with 4GB RAM and 13MP camera. It has lots of features that you would love beside the software and UI package Asus is delivering. You will be getting almost everything that other flagship devices are delivering at almost double of the price. Zenfone 2 is totally worth it at its price. If you want to get something more than Zenfone 2, then I would suggest going with One Plus 2.
Asus Zenfone 2 Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- 13MP camera with a great app support, which has lots of features and shooting modes. Good low light performance.
- 4GB RAM- not every phone has one
- Zen UI – well designed and optimized Zen UI and apps give great experience
- 64 Bit Intel processor – similar performance like Snapdragon 801 or 805
Cons:
- Unusual Volume button placement just below camera [inspired by LG G3]
- A bit lower battery life even with 3000 mAh battery
Xiaomi Mi4i: Xiomi has launched Mi4i to bridge the gap between low price devices and Flagship phones. They have delivered pretty impressive results when you compare with price. I am personally using Xiomi Mi4i as my secondary device and it delivers every bit of what Xiomi has promised. Full HD screen is good and bright, Snapdragon 615 has great performance for minor gaming and chats, Camera performance is fine for daylight photography and gives slightly grainy results if used with low light. When you compare it with Zenfone 2 or One plus 2 it does not account much, but it’s worth it at its price.
Xiomi Mi4i Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Great design – Phone is very good looking, slim and light
- Display – 1080P full HD display works great even in sunlight
- 2GB RAM with Snapdragon 615 works great with multitasking and gaming
- 13 MP Camera is great for outdoor photography
Cons:
- No SD card support
- Camera performance in Low light is below par
- Snapdragon 615 gets slightly hot while gaming
Lenovo K3 Note: I have used Lenovo A6000 Plus and Lenovo A7000, and liked them. It seems like Lenovo is following Asus footprints, they are launching pretty well-priced devices with no cluttered interface. They have designed a smooth UI and some great apps to help users with Camera, file transfer etc. The new Lenovo K3 Note delivers the same but this time, Lenovo has powered this device with Mediatek, users are complaining about device heating. But I am sure, that Lenovo will fix this in the next firmware update. Beside that K3 Note gives a great performance with Camera and battery.
Lenovo K3 Note Pros and Cons:
- 4G Support
- Octa Core CPU – Good performance while multitasking
- Battery life is good
- Camera performance is best at its price
Cons:
- Gets heated while gaming
- Earphone is not included in box
- Feels a bit bigger in the pocket
I have tried to take every aspect of Android phones we use like screen quality, call quality, Processor and Camera performance, overall UI interface and user experience to evaluate the devices. Every phone mentioned here is the budget flagship and best in its price range. I have selected devices from different price range so that everyone can pick a phone for themselves. Please let me know if I have missed any device or feature.
